The Portland daily press., 1887-02-28
summing Up for women's Suffrage

To the Editor ofthe Press:
The one fact to be stated over and over
again is that the advocates of equal suffrage
ask the Legislature to allow the voters of
Maine to pass upon fundamental question
OF government and the opponents of the
present bill ask the Legislature to refuse the
people the right to vote upon the question.
This point has been clearly made by the
PRESS, the Christian Mirror, the Transcript
and other leading papers of the State. Mrs,
Caswell says for the remonstrants;
The anti-suffragists believe that four-fifths
of the educated women do not wish to vote.
and that the majority shall rule in this as in
everything else,
If Mrs. Caswel and her friends believe
that the majority should rule, how can they
consistently ask the Senate to rescind the
vote by which it decided to ascertain the
will of the majority of the voters and to re-
fuse the people the right of passing upon the
question? They might indeed ask, as did
the Transcript, that tile women be allowed
to vote with the men upon the amendment
itself. The equal suffragists would most
gladly accept this suggestion were it not
simply impossible for women to vote legally
until they have legal right to vote. But
for the anti-suffragists to declare that they
believe in majority rule and then to ask the
Legislature to deny to such voters as we now
have the right to pass upon fundamental
question Of government is the height Of in
consistency If the equal suffragists had
asked the Legislature to give women munich
pal suffrage without ascertaining the senti-
ments OF the people the protests would be
consistent for
tirely different right, viz: the right of the
people to vote on this question. do not
wonder that the vote of the Senators for sub
mission was an overwhelming one. great
upon ascertaining since their vote that the
people are divided upon the question, they
now rescind their vote and practically saw:
I'VE believed in Republican institutions. we
desired to know the wishes of the people
upon this question; but now, learning that
there is some doubt as to how the people will
vote. upon the question, we decide that they
shall not vote upon 1t at ALL"
Only twoplausible arguments can be urged
against submission. An opponent of the
present bill may say: There is no interest
In the community upon the question and the
Legislature should not put the voters to the
trouble OF an election upon question of no
interest or Importance But the fact that
the question touches the foundations of civil
government, that other States are.acting upon
~ anu Jul COhliuuuitl 10 Q6cply SLlIIeQ over
throws this claim. Again, 1t may be urged
that the legislators are chosen to act for the
people, and that they play the coward when
they shirk responsibility and refer any aues-
ton to the people for decision. But this ar
gument savors too much of aristocratlc as
against representative government. The
people insist upon the choice of Governor
congressman, President, &c. directly rather
than through their representatives. They
have provided in the fundamental law under
which the legislators act that all changes
OF the constitution shall be referred to them
for direct decision.
we SHOULD .S not dwell upon the real question
Mrs. Caswell fill her last paper with
arguments against municipal suffrage.
which the Massachusetts Legislature was
asked to give the people without ascertain
ing their wishes, as If these arguments APP
piled to the entirely different question Of a
constitutional amendment to be submitted to
the people for decision
We recognize the fact that while the right
or the expediency of woman suffrage are not
determined by the present bill, yet that they
has submitted the amendment or the anti
suffragists have accepted Mr.. Blanchard's
invitation to discussion of these questions
we sutfragists will be only too glad to con-
slider with them whether the name anti-suf-
fragists, which they have. chosen for them
selves, does not truly characterize them, and
whether their arguments are not as much
against suffrage for men as for women:
whether politics are inherently degrading,
and if SO, whether brothers as well as sisters
should not refuse the suffrage: whether the
census, which shows that there are more for
eign men than women in Maine and In the
United States is false, and that woman suf-
frage will increase the proportion of the for
eign vote; whether the experience of partial
suffrage for women in England and Scotland
and of woman suffrage in Washington and
Wyoming show that the intelligent and con-
scientious women stay at home and only bad
women vote; as to whether the statistics of
High schools in our city, State and nation are
false, and we are constantly sending forward
to the voting age more ignorant women than
men whether the statistics Of churches,
which show greater proportion of female
than OF male members, and Of prisons, which
SHOW. a greater proportion Of male than of
female conylcts are false, and that woman
suffrage Will increase the proportion of the
immoral vote; whether moral and social
questions do not now enter into politics and
whether mothers who are to mould the no
litical convictions of their sons must not be
posted upon these subjects whether they vote
or not; whether any human being can es
cape the competitions of life, and whether
women who, like Mrs. Caswell, honorably
enter into the competitions of business. de-
teriorate in character; lastly, whether un-
der republican institutions good women any
more than good men can expect to enjoy all
the protection and the privileges of the best
laws with none of the responsibilities and |
the struggle attending their enactments.
J. w RAsuroRn